Among other causes promoted during the month of October, Family Abuse Services of Alamance County doesn’t want people to forget it’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

This week, the organization is hosting two events to allow community members to support and stand up for the victims of violence in the home — and the first one asks for men to fit themselves in women’s shoes.

Walk a Mile in Her Shoes, an almost one-mile walk around Elon University on Thursday evening, allows individuals and teams to celebrate survivors of domestic violence, said Michela Farnsworth, community outreach and education coordinator for FAS. Men are encouraged to wear ladies’ high-heeled shoes to the event, which doesn’t require a registration fee, but participants may donate $5 each.

“The idea behind it is not to get guys to cross dress, but find a fun way to celebrate survivors of domestic violence and the work we’re doing, also kind of create a way for men to show their support of the issue and show solidarity,” Farnsworth said.

Registration for the event begins at 5 p.m. at the Academic Village Amphitheater near Lindner Hall, but Farnsworth said the walk will begin closer to 6 p.m. Once it gets dark, participants are asked to be a part of a candlelight vigil to honor the victims who have died from domestic violence this past year. Jill Wiggins, a domestic violence survivor, will speak at the event, and an a cappella group from Elon University will perform.

On Saturday evening, the organization is holding a wine tasting fundraiser at Grove Winery and Vineyard in Gibsonville. The event will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. and costs $25 per person. The price includes a tasting of six wines, a wine glass, heavy appetizers and live music by Autopilot. In addition, 15 percent of the sales of wine that evening will be donated to Family Abuse Services of Alamance County.

Farnsworth said from July 2012 to June 2013, the organization had more than 1,200 calls on its crisis line, served 980 clients in its office and housed more than 100 women and children in its shelter. She said data from the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence show that there have been 36 known domestic violence related homicides in 2013 — the majority women — and two of them children.

“It is so uncomfortable that a lot of people still turn away from wanting to talk about it,” Farnsworth said. “They think it’s not their business or it happened behind closed doors, or they can talk about national statistics but if they don’t see or aren’t faced with it, can still tell themselves it’s not happening here.”